


Scatter Gun

by jackycomelately



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Glam RPF, Glitterdom, Johnny Weir/Evan Lysacek - Fandom, RPF - Fandom
Genre: M/M, skategreat Fandom Cliché challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-10
Updated: 2010-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:05:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackycomelately/pseuds/jackycomelately
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Warnings:</b> Infidelity, forced-to-marry with implied sex under duress, lots of swearing, and the tone is kind of vulgar overall. Don't know Johnny Weir or Evan Lysacek. All lies.</p><p><b>Summary:</b> Cliché 13 Harlequin AU.  Forced to marry to keep child; kidfic, largely without kid. This is a cross between a Harlequin and one of those big seventies romances in which  people are cynically mean to each other. "The plane crash was a terrible tragedy. It made the news for weeks. Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek, his wife of three years, and his parents go missing in the mountains. The story picked up speed when the bodies were never found. Follow up stories made much of his six-month-old daughter being left an orphan. Of course that was nothing compared to the headlines when Evan and his parents finally walk out of the mountains two years later."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scatter Gun

The plane crash was a terrible tragedy. It made the news for weeks. Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek, his wife of three years, and his parents go missing in the mountains. The story picked up speed when the bodies were never found. Follow up stories made much of his six-month-old daughter being left an orphan. Of course that was nothing compared to the headlines when Evan and his parents finally walk out of the mountains two years later.

+++

The social worker looked grim. "Mr. Lysacek, I understand your eagerness to see your daughter and we'll do all we can to help you, but you have to realize that it's been two years. She was six-month-old when you disappeared. She won't remember you."

"Where is she?" Evan's head hurt, hurt, hurt.

"She's in foster care. She...I don't know if you're aware of her current medical history? She apparently had some very complicated allergies—food and environmental. She didn't do well her first year in care. But her last placement was very successful. Her health has been stable for some time. Her foster father has been doing a terrific job. He was in the process of adopting her. It was scheduled to be finalized next week. He took the news hard. He requested to remain in contact."

"Is that usual Miss Brown?" His mother asked. She looked uncomfortable.

"It's quite common with older children. They do better if there is continuity with their care, and people just don't disappear from their lives."

"With younger children?" Evan asked.

"It's harder to arrange of course. Perhaps a more gradual transfer of custody? A series of visits to start?"

"Ms Brown, I understand that you are just doing your job, but I thought our lawyer had filed all the papers and this was all arranged. I expect to have my daughter back today. My parents have been through a terrible ordeal. They want to see their granddaughter."

"Yes, of course, we can certainly arrange that but we find it's in the best interest of the child and the family for a more gradual transition to take place."

"I think the faster the better myself. She can't start adjusting until she's here. I'm talking custody of my daughter Ms. Brown. She'll be staying with my parents until I'm out of the hospital. It's not that I don't appreciate the system taking care of her, but it's no longer necessary."

"Best if Izzy just forgets that other life," his father said firmly. "She's young enough surely."

+++

A week later his mother brought him the tabloid.

"What? Johnny Weir was going to adopt Izzy?" Evan asked incredulously.

The photograph was obviously taken with a telephoto lens. Johnny looked…really bad. The social worker, accompanied by a police officer, had a crying Izzy in her arms. Johnny was standing on a porch watching them go. He had his arms wrapped around his body as if to stop himself reaching out.

"I can't believe they would let Johnny Weir become a foster parent," his mother said.

Evan thought about the pages and pages of information he had read through from Izzy's nameless foster father. Schedules about her routines, foods she can't eat, medicines that she took. Lists of doctors, babysitters, play groups. Notes about symptoms to watch for. All in the same neat handwriting.

Evan went over the records that his lawyer had managed to pry out of everyone. Johnny had started fostering her at nine months. It was unusual for a single father to get a baby. Izzy's first foster parents were a married couple. They found it difficult to deal with her health issues. Johnny had been very very meticulous. She had started to do better immediately.

Three days later, Izzy was admitted to the hospital with breathing problems. Evan didn't know how Johnny had found out. Someone must have called him. When they wouldn't let him see her without Evan's permission, he came to Evan's room two floors away. It was surprisingly good to see him. His hair was short and black again.

"Shit, you look worse than I do," said Evan. It was true. Johnny was immaculately dressed, but his green eyes were bloodshot and he was thinner than when he was competing.

"They won't let me see Izzy."

Evan looked at him uncomfortably, "Johnny, it might be better…"

"Evan. Evan. She needs me. Please. Please."

"Christ, okay, you can see her."

"What would it take to get you to call me whenever you take her to the hospital?"

"You don't think it might be better for your own sake to…" Evan broke off when Johnny turned his face away and set his teeth.

"Okay, I'll call you." Frankly, he'd be glad too. Izzy struggling to breathe was fucking terrifying.

"Thank you."

+++

"I'd like to see Evan, please."

"I understand that you're friends, but…" Evan's mother looked thin and haggard. Two years of hard survival was made real for Johnny by seeing it on her face.

"We're not friends, but trust me he'll enjoy seeing me beg. It'll brighten his day to no end."

It was Johnny's turn to be shocked at his appearance.

"I thought you were getting better. You don't look better," Johnny said. He sounded accusatory.

"Some kind of bleed. Apparently the stress of walking out was too much. They'll have to go in and repair it."

Johnny looked freaked.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to die and leave Izzy with my parents."

"They don't even hate me properly. I would have no hold on them at all," Johnny said.

"Don't mind me," Evan said sarcastically. "I don't expect I'll mind being dead at all."

Johnny just looked at him numbly.

"Okay, Johnny, sit down and we'll discuss it."

"You can't leave her with your parents, Evan."

"My parents will do their best. They always did with me. I know they are not as young as they used to be, but..."

Johnny hesitated. He finally gestured, "How happy are you? I mean on a scale of one to ten."

"I'm about to have brain surgery, Johnny, I'm under a little bit of stress right now."

"Of course, and I mean you were stranded for two years in the mountains, so I don't expect that was fun…"

"Actually I was pretty happy there really. Well, not at first because I felt bad about Isabella. And later on I was really worried about who was taking care of Izzy, but other than that..."

"You were happier lost in the mountains, than in civilization? With money, a gold medal, and covered in general glory?"

"That's a little weird, isn't it?" asked Evan.

"Well, it's a sign that things aren't great in your regular life, perhaps?" Johnny said carefully.

"Well, maybe, but that doesn't mean it's my parents' fault."

"Evan…don't take this the wrong way, but you're pretty screwed up."

"There's a right way to take that?"

"Well, not really, but I'm trying not to make you mad."

"Johnny, what do you want me to do exactly? I can promise you I'll do my very best not to die. Actually it would really suck after surviving a plane crash and two years in the bush to die now. I can't exactly leave you Izzy in my will. You did a great job taking care of her. I'm grateful and I'm willing to discuss you having some role in her life, but I can't make commitments for my parents. If I die they have to do what's right for Izzy."

"They won't see me having any kind of contact with her as what's right for Izzy."

"No, probably not."

Johnny swallowed. He got up from the visitor's chair and slid onto the side of Evan's bed. Johnny twisted, kneeling, leaning forward to look Evan in the eye.

"Marriage between same sex couples became legal two months ago. I'll sign away any rights to any kind of settlement. We can have it annulled after your surgery."

Evan looked at him stunned.

+++

"She's been to the hospital three times in as many months. I'm doing something wrong."

"You're not doing anything wrong," the doctor said firmly. "This is not unusual with the degree of sensitivity your daughter suffers from."

"With Johnny it had been a year since she needed a hospital visit."

"You have to expect some degree of…"

"Deterioration?" Evan asked grimly.

"It's an adjustment to new people, a new routine. The stress of losing her usual caretaker can't have helped."

"She cries a lot. The time between her really bad episodes are getting shorter."

"Yes," the doctor said simply. "That's not good."

No shit, thought Evan.

+++

Johnny was quieter, even finer-drawn than in the hospital chapel where they had said their vows.

"Thank you for seeing me."

Evan nodded. He had been working himself up to calling before Johnny had gotten in touch.

He was willing to do whatever it took to fix this. He just didn't have the first idea how without giving up his daughter."

"This isn't working. She isn't doing very well," Johnny said.

"No, she isn't."

Johnny looked relieved that Evan admitted it. "You express some interest once upon a time in "getting to know me better" is the way I believe you put it."

"Before I was married!"

"Yes, of course."

"And you told me to go fuck myself," Evan said.

"Yes, well, things have changed. If you're willing to be a little more flexible in allowing me to see Izzy, I'm willing to be flexible in other ways."

Evan choked, "Jesus Christ Johnny!"

Johnny just looked at him, his face strained. "Too blunt? I'm sorry, how would you like me to put it? She needs me. I…I want to see her."

"I understand that, but…" Evan took a deep breath. "How far are you willing to go exactly?"

"Don't jerk me around Evan. Just tell me what you want."

He rested his head on his hands. He thought about how much Johnny adored her. He thought about Johnny offering to have sex with him if it meant he could see Izzy. Evan was pretty sure Johnny hated his guts. He thought about Johnny biting his tongue again and again and again with his parents at the hospital.

He looked at Johnny. "You want to be my trophy wife?"

Johnny opened his mouth, and closed it. He finally said, "What?"

"You're willing to fuck me, and yeah, I would like to have a sex life at some point. However, that doesn't deal with the bigger issue. Staying married would. Not to mention, Christ, how many jobs have you turned down to be in the city in case I called you? You've gotten to have taken a hit in your income. I'll support you. You can have all the designer clothes and handbags you want. You help me look after Izzy, run the house, do the charity thing. You want to skate exhibition, we'll work something out. I'm not going to give up my daughter, but she needs more than one parent. I'm not sure about letting you raise her. I don't agree with a lot of things that you do; but, you'd do insane things for her. She needs someone like that. Isabella would have done insane things for her."

Evan waited for Johnny to ask questions, to put limits on the marriage, to argue, to bitch. Instead Johnny just wrapped his arms around himself, and nodded.

"Okay. Can I see her now?"

"Sure, she's sleeping in the third bedroom upstairs."

+++

"So, no list of dos and don'ts? What I should wear? Who I should talk to? What I should say?"

"I'm not the USFSA. We're married; trying to hide it would be stupid. Don't sleep with anyone, but me. Wear whatever you want. Dress Izzy in whatever you want. Wear matching outfits for all I care. I'm sure she'll look adorable. You'll have a five thousand dollar a month allowance. The household account is separate. Izzy's has a separate account. That's for your own gewgaws. Decide what kind of car you want. Let me know where you want accounts. I'll write you out a list of personal and family friends. Invite them to anything you have planned and accept any invitations they offer. Otherwise, our social life is up to you. You want to redecorate, go ahead. Don't expect me to have an opinion. My parents might, but don't worry about it. Although you'll be forced to listen to them bitch about it, so keep that in mind."

"My parents will want to visit."

"Sure, invite them whenever. I'm going to have to do some traveling. Do you and Izzy want to come? I know Japan and France are on the list."

"I don't think she can do Europe. Everyone smokes. Let me think about Japan."

+++

"Johnny, I love her too, but you can't stand Evan. I mean you don't even like him."

"It doesn't matter." Johnny kept methodically packing. He smiled and leaned over Izzy. "That's it baby," as she carefully wrapped her stuffed Ichigo plushy in a blanket.

"We could take her and run," Paris said quite seriously.

"Life threatening allergies are not ideal for a fugitive, Paris," Johnny said dryly.

"You don't think he'd come around and let you see her sometimes?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure if I begged hard enough he'd let me see her, but that isn't the point."

"What is the point? I mean he's not a jerk to her or anything, is he?"

"No, I have no doubt that he's quite attached to her in his own way. He'll get the hang of the allergies eventually."

"Then why are you destroying your life?" Paris asked.

"She doesn't have time for the learning curve. She doesn't have time to get used to someone new. It's not like her body re-starts every time she has a new caretaker, Paris. The medicine she has to take has side effects. Even if she had stayed with me, there was always the risk that she'd get habituated to the medication. She's losing her margin for error and it wasn't very big to start with."

+++

Johnny stripped off his clothes, deposited them into the hamper, and climbed into bed naked. Evan would want to fuck him and there was no use playing coy. It had been a while. Being a full-time parent meant a lot of his emotional energy went into Izzy. There wasn't a lot left for anyone else. He also didn't have much of a sex drive. He breathed and tried to relax. He'd have to see what kind of demands Evan was going to make. He needed this to work, so he figured open legs and shut mouth would probably be a good start. He couldn't risk Evan catting around too soon. He was aware that Evan would need him less as he got more used to dealing with Izzy's health issue. He expected Evan would be looking for someone new soon enough once the novelty of having his rival crawling at his feet wore off. The longer he was Izzy's legal parent the better chance he had of getting some kind of access once Evan kicked him to the curb. He was a little afraid that Evan had made the same calculations. Johnny had always been bad at reacting strategically. It was one of the reasons that Evan had beaten him in the politics department.

Evan knocked at his door and peeked in. He was wearing boring blue pajamas and a robe. He looked like the father from _Leave it to Beaver_. Johnny closed his mouth firmly.

Johnny smiled at him. Evan smiled back a bit nervously as he came and sat on the bed.

"Are you exhausted?" he asked.

"Yes, but nerved up too."

"Like after a big skate," Evan said.

"Pretty much. Sex?" Johnny asked a little amused despite himself at Evan's politeness.

"That would be lovely," Evan's mouth twitched and something in Johnny relaxed. It didn't seem like Evan was going to start off being a dick anyway.

Evan took off his robe and hung it on the bed post. He slid the covers off Johnny and made a soft sound of pleasure at his nudity.

"God, you're…" Evan swallowed, "really really beautiful."

Okay, well, that was a good start. Johnny relaxed a bit more. Sincere lust was always flattering, even from Evan.

+++

"Nice fur! New! That must have put a dent in your allowance! Actually there's no way your allowance would have begun to cover it. Did you dip into your assets?"

"Actually, Evan brought it for me for my birthday. You know, don't laugh, but I'm starting to think that in his own creepy Evan way he has a bit of a thing for me."

"That's an understatement. He's been desperate to fuck you for years."

"Paris!"

"What? It's true!"

"It is not!"

"Of course it is. Had you expressed the slightest interest he would have galloped out of the closet years ago. Why do you think he was always so fucked up around you?"

"Because he was Evan."

"He managed to stay perfectly indifferently civil to every other figure skater. And you are not the only gay one."

"Well, no, of course not."

"Didn't he ever make a pass?"

"Once or twice he made a half-assed attempt, but I never thought it was particularly serious."

"What was the wife like?"

"I have no idea. Apparently we were both willing to do insane things for Izzy."

"Jesus Christ! He compared you to his wife?!

"Just in relation to Izzy! It's not like he told me I was his ideal or anything."

+++

"You're trying to make me happier. Stop it."

"That's kind of the long term goal of therapy, Johnny."

"Yes, well, I can't afford happiness. Not if it messes up the status quo."

"How's your sex life?"

"It's good actually. Evan fucks nicely. I don't do it as often as I should."

"What makes you think that? Does Evan pressure you to have sex more?"

"No, he's just kind of desperate for it when I do."

"Do you think you'd like sex more with someone else?"

"I don't think so. I mean if I really loved them I'd probably do it more, but I wouldn't want to particularly. You don't like Evan, do you?"

Their therapist blinked. "He lacks your charm. He's also very possessive I've noticed."

Johnny shrugs. "It gets worse when things aren't going well between us."

"He's afraid you'll leave."

"He shouldn't be. I wouldn't leave Izzy."

"She's how old now?"

"Fourteen."

"She'd probably be able to pick the parent she stayed with at that age."

Johnny paused and looked at her, "Wow, you really don't like him."

+++

"I think we should find a new therapist."

"I thought you liked this one?"

"I do, but she doesn't like you much."

Evan shrugged. "Yeah, I noticed that too. You going to sleep in your room tonight?"

"No, I thought I'd sleep with you. Work on a building block."

+++

"Once his emotions are involved, Johnny sucks at strategy. Seriously, I could have fucked him over so much more than I did."

"More than forcing him to marry you, you mean?"

Evan looked at her. "Johnny was right. You really don't like me."

"Do most people?"

"No, most people like Johnny. Even if it they're assholes, if they spend enough time with him, they like him."

"But not you?"

"Eleven years later and I still have a massive hard on for him. I took a major hit when I married him you know. Luckily most of my sponsorships were front loaded, but still."

"Money is important to you?"

"Sure, you're an athlete you have to think about retirement. Izzy needs things, and my parents. Johnny's been pretty good about keeping to his allowance, so that helps."

"He says he spends too much."

"Naaa, not really. I mean a lot of the stuff he buys is for Izzy or the house. Sometimes he goes over a bit on a special outfit, but," Evan shrugged, "he looks good."

"You like him to look good."

"Sure."

"He doesn't earn any money of his own?"

"Sometimes, he does some performing. He gets royalties for his books. Most of that he puts toward supporting his parents and helping his brother. The rest he puts towards his savings. It isn't much through, but I think it makes him feel better. You know an escape fund for when he can't stand me anymore."

"Or for when you throw him out."

"Yeah, right," Evan smirked.

"So, eleven years now?"

"Yeah."

"You're not out looking for someone new?"

"God, he'd be so hosed. The premarital my lawyer had him sign was brutal. No, I like Johnny. Even if I fucked around, which I don't, why would I get rid of him?"

"For someone younger, prettier."

Evan looked at her amazed. "There's no one prettier than Johnny."

+++

"How do you feel about him staying with you for your money?"

"He's staying for Izzy. The money's just a nice bonus. He likes nice things, but if he hadn't been taking care of Izzy, he could have gotten them for himself."

"So, you don't see him as mercenary?"

"Johnny? No, I told you, he sucks at playing the game. He leaves me, I'm going to have to set something up for him. A team of people who'll actually explain to him what he's signing. I'm telling you, Izzy wouldn't have signed the prenup he did. If I followed it, he'd take a massive hit even with Izzy's allowance."

"You're assuming Izzy would go with him?"

"Well, that's not what the prenup says, but Johnny's the closest thing to a mother Izzy has. You don't take a girl away from her mama. Not unless the mother is really fucked up. You also don't let them live on the shitty amount mama was stupid enough to agree to."

+++

They're both forty and Evan's still in awesome shape—hard-bodied and lean. Johnny is still thin, but he's softened a bit with age. Evan thinks it suits him. He likes to press his nose into his tiny tummy. Johnny flinches and slaps at him and Evan has to hold his wrists if he wants to do it. He tells Johnny it makes him hard, but it always takes some work to coax Johnny out of his pout. It's fuckin' adorable and Evan has never minded having to work at getting Johnny to turn over for him.

Johnny's got a little bitchier with age. Izzy has gone off to college. Johnny talks to her all the time on the phone, but Evan can tell he misses her. If Johnny was a chick, Evan would have tried to talk him into another baby years ago. He finally tentatively mentioned adopting. Johnny had been really surprised at the idea, Evan could tell. He said he'd think about it.

Paris had made a couple of jokes about Evan looking for someone younger, but had stopped when Johnny's laugh had grown progressively more fake. Paris was really annoying, but he wasn't stupid.

The weird thing was that Paris was not the only one who thought he was looking for some extra tail. Cute young things seemed to be at every business meeting lately, making extra long eye-contact and smiling too much. Evan might be insensitive, but he also wasn't stupid. It's not that he doesn't look sometimes, but it seems to him to be asking for trouble. Evan doesn't have Izzy to keep Johnny tethered anymore. He's not going to give him an easy excuse to leave.

The last dinner party they had been at, the daughter of the house (22 if she was a day), had been doing the same thing. Johnny's smile had gotten stiffer and stiffer and he had avoided eye contact in a way that had Evan seriously worried. Finally, Evan had slid his arm around Johnny's waist, turned him towards him, and whispered the dirtiest joke he knew in his ear. Johnny had given an involuntary huff of laughter, and finally met Evan's eyes. The half-vulnerable, half-pissed off look was familiar from their days as rivals. He kept Johnny tucked against his side for the rest of the evening. Johnny had turned over pretty easy that night, but there was something a little disturbing about it. It reminded Evan of the early years when Johnny was putting out more than he really wanted to. That night Evan spent a little extra time with his tongue in Johnny's awesome ass, and hadn't teased him about his tummy. Once again, really not stupid.

+++ 

"Another baby? Seriously? Aren't you done with all that?" Paris asked.

"I really like children. I didn't really expect Evan to go for another one, but he was good with Izzy. He has more time now."

"It would also keep you busy if he wants to fuck around," Paris said.

"Why does everyone assume he's going to…" Johnny wrapped his arms around himself and curled up on the sofa. "Okay, so he has money, power, and is finally growing into his looks at forty. And I'm the aging trophy wife, whose looks are fading. Shit."

"Hey, I think the fact that he wants another kid is a good sign. I mean he probably won't leave you if he wants to adopt, right?"

"Just fuck around and expect me to ignore it. Shit, shit, shit."

"What are you going to do?"

Johnny swallowed. "See if they'll let us adopt. Pretend I don't see it. Hope it's not the daughter or son of anyone I know. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I'm so bad at hiding things. Seriously, that bitch Anna was making a play for him at a dinner party last week and I just kind of froze. A few years ago I would have cut her off at the knees, and bitched out Evan for daring to have someone come on to him."

"That skank! So, what happened?"

"Evan noticed I was upset. He was sweet about it actually."

"Evan noticed? Jesus! You must have been obvious."

"Yes, thank-you Paris, I know."

"Is he still fucking you through the mattress?"

"Sure."

"Huh, good sign."

+++

Two weeks later Johnny met Tim.

+++

"I've read over your contact Mr. Weir. It's not good. We'll argue that it's unreasonable compared to your standard of living when married. We'll have to go over your average spending. It'll help if you have any receipts, records, etc. Now is your medical insurance through your husband? I understand your daughter has some health issues."

Johnny made it back to Paris's with a pounding headache. He wrapped some ice in a tea towel and put it on his forehead. He winced as Paris noisily arrived home. Paris took in the situation at a glance.

"Lawyer meeting didn't go well?"

"I don't have health insurance. I don't know if Izzy does. I fucked up. I should have kept my mouth shut and my legs openned and hoped for the best."

"Seriously? That's how you want to deal with the most important relationship in your life?"

"My most important relationship is with Izzy. I don't know how I forgot that."

 

+++

 

"Mr. Weir, we got our first response from Mr. Lysacek."

Printed neatly across the top of their offer were the words: "Ms Defoiuyn, have you even met Johnny?" All their painstaking numbers were crossed out and a list was written beside it.

1\. Jesus. Of course I'll keep covering Izzy's school fees.

2\. Johnny can have the usual allowance for her expenses.

3\. I'll keep paying his allowance.

4\. No, neither of them is insurable. Tell Johnny to stop freaking over it. All their medical expenses are paid through this account. It includes all of Izzy's expenses: medicine, puffers, anything that has to be allergy free such as bedding, toiletries, etc. Stuff cost a mint. It also includes dental, vision, anything Johnny needs as far as massage, his joint specialist, etc. Tell him he can charge an annual visit to that spa he likes. With Johnny, that's a legitimate mental health expense.

5\. If he wants any of his accounts continued he'll have to talk to me about it personally (he'll know what that means).

Johnny laughed involuntarily.

Ms Defoiuyn said tentatively, "It's much more than we asked for."

"Like I never left home, minus the home," Johnny said.

+++

"You idiot! Why the fuck did you grab someone who is in the middle of a messy divorce? Are you fuckin' nuts?"

Johnny thought Tim's "associate" asked a very good question himself although his fat lip was causing him to think twice for once about answering.

"Johnny, what the fuck did you do? You told him? Why the fuck would you tell him? Jesus Christ!"

Tim looked both angry and afraid. Given the looks of his three "associates" Johnny understood why.

"Because strangely enough, I thought you were worth leaving my husband for. Clearly I was sadly mistaken."

The second stinging slap on already bruised flesh was even less fun.

"Johnny, you leave him and you get nothing! My way would have gotten us millions! You think Lysacek wants it to get out that he didn't pay a ransom? Christ, no one is going to expect him to pay a cent with you in the middle of a divorce!"

"Maybe he'll pay us to kill him, boss?" Oh, fuck.

+++

"You had someone follow Mr. Weir in an effort to secure evidence in your upcoming divorce?"

The police detective was polite enough, but still gave Evan the creeps. He had never much liked his security people either.

"What? No! It was part of his regular security team. I have a lot more on Izzy. I always figured she'd be the more obvious target for kidnapping. Johnny's security was more for the random asshole who didn't like fags. Security has headed off a few ugly incidences over the years."

"So Mr. Weir was aware of their presence?"

"What? Fuck no. I like my balls where they are, thanks."

"How long have you had them in place."

"Since we got married."

"Sixteen years ago?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't remove them after you separated?"

"Hell, no."

+++

"The security agency confirmed that Lysacek has had a security detail on Weir for the last sixteen years. He increased it when they separated. He gets a weekly summary of any incidents that the agency considers a security risk, but hasn't requested any further details."

"Huh," said Len thoughtfully.

"What? It's exactly what he said."

"Yeah, but Lysacek has control freak written all over him. I want you to run a check with every agency in town."

"You think he's paying for two agencies?"

"Ask the first one if they've noticed anyone else tailing Weir. It wouldn't be the first time someone has arranged a "kidnapping" to avoid paying out a hefty settlement."

+++

"Mr. Lysacek, we spoke with the second agency that you hired to follow Mr. Weir. Bad idea to hide it by the way. There is some evidence that Mr. Weir is involved in his own abduction."

Lysacek looked at him. "Bullshit," he said. "There's no way in hell that Johnny had anything to do with this."

"Mr. Lysacek, it's not unknown during a divorce for one party to…"

"No doubt, but if Johnny wanted more money he would have just asked for it."

"It's often not that simple. There an element of punishment involved that…"

"Bullshit," Lysacek said again. "Johnny wouldn't…he'd think it was really low class to use someone's goodwill against them. Stuff like that really matters to Johnny.

Johnny was screwing around a little bit that's all. He's not dealing with getting older very well. He misses Izzy. He's a romantic through, so it can't be just a little affair. It has to be the love of his fuckin' life. He has shitty taste in men through. You think the asshole he's involved with set him up to get kidnapped?"

"Was the affair why you were divorcing him?"

Lysacek looked at the cop like he was crazy. "Fuck, no, Johnny was faithful for sixteen years. I was just going to play dumb, but like I said Johnny had to make a big deal out of it. He's divorcing me. I figured I might have to pay the asshole off, but I didn't think he'd fuck Johnny over this much."

+++

Evan stalked over to where Johnny was tied. "Fuck." He removed the gag first. "You okay?"

"Yeah." His voice was a dry rasp. Evan began to work on the knots. Johnny's wrists and ankles were a mess. Untied Evan pulled Johnny face down across his lap and began to work the cramps out of his strained muscles. Johnny breathed in his familiar scent. He didn't even try and stop the tears.

"Mr. Weir?" The detective that Evan had quickly grown to hate asked politely.

"What do you need?" Evan asked.

"To speak to Mr. Weir. Preferably alone."

"Yeah, not going to happen. He's choosing his right to remain silent. His lawyer's on his way."

"Evan…"

"Shut up Johnny. Remaining silent means shutting up."

Six hours later when Johnny was released, Evan, not for the first time, was glad that he was a very rich man. A little poorer after paying a hefty ransom, but some things were worth the price.

"You're coming back home. At least for now. You are not going back to that shitty apartment. I'll set you up somewhere nicer with much better security. In the meantime, Mila is going to see us at 2:00. I figured you'd do better with someone you knew and she's done trauma counseling before."

"I'm okay," Johnny said.

"If you had said it without the tears I might have believed you. I'm not fuckin' okay, so if you ever want to be able to leave the house again, you might want to consider going."

"I don't know. Not leaving the house ever sounds good."

"In that case we should be really happy together."

+++

"Johnny still looks like shit. You'd think I was divorcing him. Jesus, his lawyer told him they'd just rubber stamp it, right? I mean we settled on joint custody. I hope he's not planning anything stupid."

"I'm sure Mr. Weir has been apprised of all the relevant details of your very generous settlement."

"Yeah," he looked at his lawyer. "It wasn't particularly. He should have said fuck the prenuptial and gone for half."

"He wouldn't have gotten it," his lawyer said.

"A woman would have."

His lawyer toggled his hand. "Probably not, being just a stepparent. Maybe a quarter to a third. Had he been Izzy's natural mother quite likely."

It took a while for their case to come up. It went through without a hitch. Johnny looked incredibly relieved. Evan wondered what horror stories he'd been telling himself.

+++

Johnny swallowed and punched in the number.

"Evan, please."

A few seconds later he was on the line.

"What are you doing on the main line? Is there something wrong with the cell?"

"No."

"Oh Jesus. You're going to be weird about this, aren't you? Use my cell or you'll freak everyone out."

"Fine," Johnny bit off. He took a deep breath. "I need a favour."

"Okay," Evan said a little warily.

"I know we're divorced, but it would really help me if you'd come to a counseling session with me."

"But we're divorced."

"Yes Evan, I know we're divorced, I just said that. But I don't know how to be divorced. I don't how to interact with you as a divorced person. We were married a long time. I would really really appreciate it." Johnny's voice cracked on the second "really."

"Okay, you sound stressed. What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on. It's an adjustment that's all."

"Okay, when and where?"

+++

They were waiting for the therapist. Evan had rather expected that divorce would end that particular hell, but he couldn't help a slight sense of nostalgia. They had had a hell of a lot of therapy over the years.

"I'm sorry for the crack about your accounts."

Johnny shrugged. "We'll see how the newest collection looks," he said dryly.

"I'm not closing your accounts. Buy what you want."

"I'm not your responsibility anymore Evan. You don't have…"

"We were married for sixteen years. You raised my daughter. You sucked my dick with some regularity. I sucked yours. You think I'm going to let you live on what I used to give you for clothing? Find somewhere decent to live in a nice area and I'll cover it. Use your fuckin' accounts."

+++

"I have enough money never to have to worry about it for the rest of my life. Izzy will never have to worry about it. If he wants to set up some kind of business I'll get him financing. Yes, he could pinch pennies and be miserable, but why? I was angry when I set the terms."

"My lawyer thought they were very generous," Johnny said.

"Ask her what the standard settlement would have been for a woman."

"Yeah, but they would have married for love."

"That's what's bothering you? So did you."

Johnny shrugged. The therapist raised her eyebrows in inquiry.

"He married me for Izzy," Evan said.

"You did the same thing, jackass," Johnny responded.

"Sure, and because I wanted to own you." They both looked at him in surprise. Jesus, how stupid did they think he was? "Why do you think Johnny gets an allowance, not a settlement?" Evan asked.

"Because I suck at money."

"Baby, you get someone to take care of it for you."

Johnny shrugged.

"You don't care that Evan controlls the money?"

"I have a few dollars of my own."

"Enough to live on?"

"No, but I'm working now. I'll start earning more soon."

She looked at Evan. He shrugged.

"Sure, if he wants to make it a priority he could pull in more money. He generally had better things to do."

"What am I? A Victorian lady?"

Evan smirked, "Pretty much."

"How's Izzy handling the divorce?"

"Better than I expected," Johnny said.

"She doesn't believe in it yet," Evan said unexpectedly.

"How about you Evan? Do you believe in it yet?"

Evan looked at Johnny. He smiled. "No," he said.


End file.
